Using a Container to Chop Dry Leaves

I talked to our lawn guys (no, we don't hire them, it comes with the
work we do) and they are going to capture them for me and dump them in
the garden area when they mow the lawn after the leaves fall. Bit of
good fortune, this is. Also said I could grab all I want off the
trailer, as well.
Charlie

I'll say. And hey, there's nothing wrong with having a lawn guy
provided you (proverbial you) don't buy into the spring, summer, fall
and winter fertilization process. It's all crap. If turf is fed when
it is dormant all it does is feed the weeds. It is ridiculous. It's
also ridiculous to do a fall feeding. There only needs to be two
fertilizations, if that. Every few years I put out some fertilizer
and I mulch mow the lawn, which keeps the fertilization process as
natural as can be and it is effective. Trees out in the forest have
been fertilized by their own waste for beginningless time. Fertilizer,
the other white meat. Silly.

Not being disagreeable here at all, but INMSHO, lawns are a waste of
resources. Thus having said that, I agree with what you say. These
guys don't fall fertilize and seldom bag anything. Only when the
leaves are deep, do they, and this year I am returning them to the
garden.
Couple weeks ago, the local HyVee had goat milk in bottles from a new
supplier that is marketing rbgh free milk, though not organic, both
goat and cow. The bottle label states GOAT - "The Other White
Milk". Made me chuckle and buy some.
Care
Charlie

'lawns' were originally sheep pastures in England. the wealthy
estate owners had vast expanses of neatly manicured lawn
because they kept sheep. mowing & fertilizing in one unit,
with the (rather large at the time) economic value of
renewable wool resources.

here in New England most dairies are still small & family
owned. i don't know *any* dairy farms that use rbgh.
i'm going to have goat milk in the spring. i suspect Heidi
will be a PITA to milk, but Leisl will be tractable... we'll
see. :) hopefully by spring i'll have found my Dexter cows &
working steers (they aren't oxen until they are over 4 years
old). we're working on self-sufficency (i even have a non-
electric well pump in the basement. no power? i have water<g>)
lee

:) i'm not that sophisticated.
that sounds like how the water works in NYC apartment
buildings. the water is pumped to a cistern on the roof &
gravity supplies the pressure. even though this house od post
& beam, i don't think the roof would hold the weight of a
cistern. i'm working on plans for a rainwater runoff cistern
for the garden.
lee

no, of course not.
there's a house for sale in the next town that is totally off
grid & has been at least since the late 60s. the house is
powered by wind, solar & a bicycle... seriously.
it's got some funky architecture (there were no building
codes in force when it was remodeled), but it apparently works
pretty well. iwas thinking about calling the real estate agent
just to get a look at his systems ;)
http://www.newenglandmoves.com/viewDetails.nem?GLID 11032082
&selectTab=1&propertySearchType=1&associateSearchType=&cid51809
hopefully you can paste that into your browser & take a look.
lee

I've read about this place...
When we built, we wanted a heat pump, radiant floors and other green ideas.
Boy did the zoning board and building inspectors put the halt to those. We
were too far ahead of their comfort zone....
C

What's the operating mechanism? Just a lever?
I've been fantasizing with the idea of a large (8-10' diameter)
"squirrel cage" hooked to either a pump mechanism, or a generator, or
something, and instead of wearing your arms out trying to pump, just
climb on and do a little jogging. Lots of issues though, like easy exit
if needed for emergency, something to hold onto to keep you from
tripping and falling and being turned into pulled taffy, etc.
I guess the easiest thing would be to do a turnstile/merry-go-round
thing, like used for horse drawn grain mills.

yes, just a pitcher pump. the dug well is not deep (water is
not even 13' down), so it's not much effort to pump water up.
my jet pump for that well is only 1/2 HP & works just fine for
the house water.

actually, i've never seen one set up like that here in New
England or NY. the most common method of harnessing horse,
goat or dog power was a contraption that resembles a treadmill
or indoor jogger. adapting a treadmill is far safer than a
turnstyle, i'd think.
i guess the turnstyle would have been used more for a larger
mill (hired miller), as opposed to an on-farm mill for
personal use. you need at least 2 horses for a turnstyle,
preferably 4. a treadmill can be powered by one. the
treadmills were used for quite a few applications from baling
hay to budling corn stalks to powering mills or whetstones
(sharpening stones).
we have a handcrank grain mill we use here (with adaptions
for using a drill if we're feeling lazy) for beer grains &
coarse bread flour (it'll grind fine flour, but then i have to
reset it for beer grain & it's a PITA)
you could also adapt a bicycle for powering things fairly
easily. i know a few people that have turned old bicycles into
spinning wheels.
one advantage to old houses, or building your own new house,
is that they are/can be adapted to get along without
electricity. i doubt this house had electric until the 1950s.
there's never been post & knob in here, so it wasn't wired
until the cloth romex wire came into use.
lee

There is a book called "China at work" by Rudolf P. Hommel
MIT Press Editions , September 1969
First edition was 1937
SBN 262 08035- 4
Deals with tools before gasoline and Oil. Worth the search and maybe
your library can track it down.
Bill

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